Please tell me why liberals and posters here call Focus on Family a "hate" group

[Anonymous]

I admit I don't know much about them, and I did some digging around and it seems that they are just a Christian group that tries to lobby and push for traditonal Christian lifestyles. I haven't seen anything per se that would make them a HATE group. Is it because they oppose gay marriage? What am I missing here?

[Anonymous]

It's because they actively lobby for exclusionary/ discriminatory legislation and practices.

It's one thing to encourage folks to follow "traditional" values. It's another to try to outlaw any other choice.

[Anonymous]

Not sure if I'd call them a hate group. Backwards, sure, but not a hate group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's because they actively lobby for exclusionary/ discriminatory legislation and practices.

It's one thing to encourage folks to follow "traditional" values. It's another to try to outlaw any other choice.

So does that make the Brady Campaign a hate group since they try to outlaw guns? How about Mary Cheh and Michael Bloomberg? They've tried to outlaw the choice to enjoy a soda. Your argument is unconvincing. Also being on a different side of a law doesn't make you "hate" does it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's because they actively lobby for exclusionary/ discriminatory legislation and practices.

It's one thing to encourage folks to follow "traditional" values. It's another to try to outlaw any other choice.

So does that make the Brady Campaign a hate group since they try to outlaw guns? How about Mary Cheh and Michael Bloomberg? They've tried to outlaw the choice to enjoy a soda. Your argument is unconvincing. Also being on a different side of a law doesn't make you "hate" does it?

It all comes down to "harm". Guns harm theaters full of Batman fans or houses of worship full of religious minorities. Too much sugar harms health which drives up publicly-paid healthcare costs, harming the healthcare system. (I'm not on board with that one, but I assume that's the argument.) Gay marriage between consenting adults harms... who, now?

[Anonymous]

They are a hate group and should be monitored by the government.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's because they actively lobby for exclusionary/ discriminatory legislation and practices.

It's one thing to encourage folks to follow "traditional" values. It's another to try to outlaw any other choice.

So does that make the Brady Campaign a hate group since they try to outlaw guns? How about Mary Cheh and Michael Bloomberg? They've tried to outlaw the choice to enjoy a soda. Your argument is unconvincing. Also being on a different side of a law doesn't make you "hate" does it?

It all comes down to "harm". Guns harm theaters full of Batman fans or houses of worship full of religious minorities. Too much sugar harms health which drives up publicly-paid healthcare costs, harming the healthcare system. (I'm not on board with that one, but I assume that's the argument.) Gay marriage between consenting adults harms... who, now?

Now you are just reaching. Your definition of "harm" is not universal. Perfectly sane adults can own guns and not "harm" anyone. Using your same stretched logic gay men might prey on little boys. Not saying it's true but it's reaching for one outcome and applying it to all others.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, the generally accepted arbiter of hate groups is the Southern Poverty Law Center, and they don't classify Focus on Family as one. Dobson won't be invited to their holiday parties, but they don't think he headlines a hate group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's because they actively lobby for exclusionary/ discriminatory legislation and practices.

It's one thing to encourage folks to follow "traditional" values. It's another to try to outlaw any other choice.

So does that make the Brady Campaign a hate group since they try to outlaw guns? How about Mary Cheh and Michael Bloomberg? They've tried to outlaw the choice to enjoy a soda. Your argument is unconvincing. Also being on a different side of a law doesn't make you "hate" does it?

It all comes down to "harm". Guns harm theaters full of Batman fans or houses of worship full of religious minorities. Too much sugar harms health which drives up publicly-paid healthcare costs, harming the healthcare system. (I'm not on board with that one, but I assume that's the argument.) Gay marriage between consenting adults harms... who, now?

Now you are just reaching. Your definition of "harm" is not universal. Perfectly sane adults can own guns and not "harm" anyone. Using your same stretched logic gay men might prey on little boys. Not saying it's true but it's reaching for one outcome and applying it to all others.

Hey, I answered your question as if it were sincere. Now that I see you have an agenda, I'm out. I don't engage with fundamentalists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's because they actively lobby for exclusionary/ discriminatory legislation and practices.

It's one thing to encourage folks to follow "traditional" values. It's another to try to outlaw any other choice.

So does that make the Brady Campaign a hate group since they try to outlaw guns? How about Mary Cheh and Michael Bloomberg? They've tried to outlaw the choice to enjoy a soda. Your argument is unconvincing. Also being on a different side of a law doesn't make you "hate" does it?

It all comes down to "harm". Guns harm theaters full of Batman fans or houses of worship full of religious minorities. Too much sugar harms health which drives up publicly-paid healthcare costs, harming the healthcare system. (I'm not on board with that one, but I assume that's the argument.) Gay marriage between consenting adults harms... who, now?

Now you are just reaching. Your definition of "harm" is not universal. Perfectly sane adults can own guns and not "harm" anyone. Using your same stretched logic gay men might prey on little boys. Not saying it's true but it's reaching for one outcome and applying it to all others.

Hey, I answered your question as if it were sincere. Now that I see you have an agenda, I'm out. I don't engage with fundamentalists.

I thought you gave me a well thought out defense. I'm actually not religious. I just don't get why people with an opposite view are now considered "#hate".

[Anonymous]

James Dobson has said some pretty awful stuff.

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/James_Dobson

[Anonymous]

I agree with pp who talked about "harm". It is reasonable to advocate for legislation that protects your own rights, including the right to safely walk around without the risk that a psycho has easily obtained an automatic weapon. It would be reasonable to advocate for the right to marry. It is not reasonable to advocate to deny rights to others. What gay people Do does not harm others outside of their relationship. Therefore it is inappropriate to fight to deny them rights. Doing so appears to be motivated by fear, superstition, ignorance and yes, hate.

[Anonymous]

Here's an example - suppose I decided that Christians shouldn't be allowed to worship in the style they prefer. I don't hate them personally. I just don't think they should have access to Bibles or be allowed to gather in Christian churches or say prayers in public or wear crosses anywhere. I don't have anything against them personally. I just think they're behavior is deeply twisted and that no one should engage in it because obviously a religion is a choice and people can choose other religions.

Now suppose I formed an organization to lobby for legislation to support my views and I encouraged lots of people to join me in my views. Nothing personal, y'know, I just think my child should be protected from people who use cannibalism as part of their worship (eating the body and drinking the blood - what else could that be?). So no Christians should be allowed to join her Girl Scout troop and I definitely wouldn't want any Christians teaching her.

I'm a nice family person, I'm not rude in public, I tell you I don't hate you, just your behavior - which you could choose not to engage in. I have to protect my family after all.

Do you really think you would believe that I didn't basically hate you and what you stand for? That I wasn't trying to hurt you in a fundamental way or to destroy what is sacred to you and your identity? I will tell you over and over I don't hate you but what do you think it would feel like to you?

Then think about how it would feel if you were a 12-year-old. And that's why I can't forgive Focus on the Family for what they do. I've seen what it did to my middle-schooler, who, thank God, has survived it but no child should ever have to feel that way ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's an example - suppose I decided that Christians shouldn't be allowed to worship in the style they prefer. I don't hate them personally. I just don't think they should have access to Bibles or be allowed to gather in Christian churches or say prayers in public or wear crosses anywhere. I don't have anything against them personally. I just think they're behavior is deeply twisted and that no one should engage in it because obviously a religion is a choice and people can choose other religions.

Now suppose I formed an organization to lobby for legislation to support my views and I encouraged lots of people to join me in my views. Nothing personal, y'know, I just think my child should be protected from people who use cannibalism as part of their worship (eating the body and drinking the blood - what else could that be?). So no Christians should be allowed to join her Girl Scout troop and I definitely wouldn't want any Christians teaching her.

I'm a nice family person, I'm not rude in public, I tell you I don't hate you, just your behavior - which you could choose not to engage in. I have to protect my family after all.

Do you really think you would believe that I didn't basically hate you and what you stand for? That I wasn't trying to hurt you in a fundamental way or to destroy what is sacred to you and your identity? I will tell you over and over I don't hate you but what do you think it would feel like to you?

Then think about how it would feel if you were a 12-year-old. And that's why I can't forgive Focus on the Family for what they do. I've seen what it did to my middle-schooler, who, thank God, has survived it but no child should ever have to feel that way ever.

Great answer, PP! Case closed.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure how they earned the HATE title it baffleds me.
Maybe their support of legalizing gay discrimination laws or their preaching Muslim hate, no maybe anti black discrimination housing or was it their anti Semitic attitude
so difficult to choose which family value Jesus would have chosen